Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application?

From	Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.c
Subject	Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application?
Date	2017-03-31 12:29 -0700
Organization	None to speak of
Message-ID	<ln37dt453c.fsf@kst-u.example.com> (permalink)
References	<objh05$1697$1@gioia.aioe.org> <obm4q8$rdr$1@dont-email.me>

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Ken Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> writes:
[...]
> In the general sense, you can't generate source code from an executable 
> file.  (You can't turn hamburger back into a cow.)  In some cases, it may be 
> possible, if you know a lot about the compiler and environment used to build 
> it.  (And debug info helps with that.)

Well, in principle it should be possible (but perhaps very difficult)
to generate source code that can be compiled to produce an identical,
or at least functionally identical, executable file.  The derived
source code isn't likely to bear much resemblance to the original.
(If you don't insist on portability, it can just be a C source file
consisting almost entirely of inline assembler.)  It's likely to
be impossible to derive local variable names or the exact forms of
constant expressions.  This:
    int x = 0;
    x ++;
and this:
    int foo = 1-1;
    foo = foo + 7/5;
are likely to generate exactly the same machine code.

And any source code you generate is not likely to be useful.

-- 
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) kst-u@mib.org  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Working, but not speaking, for JetHead Development, Inc.
"We must do something.  This is something.  Therefore, we must do this."
    -- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

Thread

How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Real Troll <real.troll@trolls.com> - 2017-03-30 12:59 -0500
  Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2017-03-30 18:45 +0000
    Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Real Troll <real.troll@trolls.com> - 2017-03-30 16:45 -0500
      Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Jerry Stuckle <jstucklex@attglobal.net> - 2017-03-30 18:53 -0400
      Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Ken Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2017-03-31 13:56 -0400
        Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-03-31 11:49 -0700
  Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Jens Stuckelberger <Jens_Stuckelberger@nowhere.net> - 2017-03-30 20:29 +0000
  Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? "Rick C. Hodgin" <rick.c.hodgin@gmail.com> - 2017-03-30 14:06 -0700
  Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? gordonb.1bihd@burditt.org (Gordon Burditt) - 2017-03-30 18:52 -0500
  Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Lew Pitcher <lew.pitcher@digitalfreehold.ca> - 2017-03-30 20:01 -0400
  Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-03-31 09:38 +0200
  Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2017-03-31 00:56 -0700
  Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? supercat@casperkitty.com - 2017-03-31 08:59 -0700
    Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Real Troll <real.troll@trolls.com> - 2017-03-31 12:00 -0500
  Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Ken Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2017-03-31 13:51 -0400
    Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2017-03-31 12:29 -0700
    Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Real Troll <real.troll@trolls.com> - 2017-03-31 16:59 -0400
      Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2017-04-01 06:05 +0000
      Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2017-04-01 01:35 -0500
      OT: private info in .exe files from VS (was Re: How to stop Reverse Engineer a C, C++, VB or C# application?) Ken Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2017-04-03 12:39 -0400

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